1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resin product, a method of disassembling the resin product, a process cartridge, a method of disassembling the process cartridge, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus forming an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming method, and the term "electrophotographic image forming apparatus" covers, for example, an electrophotographic copier, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser printer or an LED printer), a facsimile apparatus and a word processor.
Also, the term "process cartridge" refers to charging means, developing means or cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge also refers to at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge further refers to at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, there has heretofore been adopted a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be done not by a serviceman but by a user himself and therefore, the operability of the apparatus could be markedly improved. So, this process cartridge system is widely used in image forming apparatuses.
Such a process cartridge loses its commodity value as a process cartridge when the developer in it is consumed. Such cartridges, which have lost their commodity value as process cartridges, are collected from the market, and recyclable parts are taken out of those cartridges. It has been conceived to inspect those taken-out parts, and thereafter recycle the parts judged to be recyclable.
For example, in a process cartridge, a cartridge frame as an outer packaging part is constructed of two or more resin molded parts. The cartridge frame contains therein an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging roller as the charging member of charging means, a development sleeve as the developing member of developing means, a cleaning blade as the cleaning member of cleaning means, etc. Such constituent parts, as the charging roller, the development sleeve and a cleaning blade supporting member for supporting the cleaning blade provided in the process cartridge as a resin product of such construction, have long lives and may be usable still after a developer (hereinafter referred to as the toner) in the process cartridge has been consumed.
Therefore, recently, the process cartridge after the toner therein has been consumed is collected and the cartridge frame thereof is disassembled, whereby recyclable constituent parts are taken out of the cartridge frame for recycling.